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Updated: May 31, 2026
07:01
Working Memory Training for Older Participants: A Control Group Training Regimen and Initial Intellectual Functioning Assessment
Published on: September 20, 2020
Memory self-efficacy predicts responsiveness to inductive reasoning training in older adults
Brennan R Payne1, Joshua J Jackson, Patrick L Hill
1Department of Educational Psychology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL 61820-6990, USA. payne12@illinois.edu
Summary
Older adults with higher memory self-efficacy showed greater improvements in inductive reasoning after training. This suggests that beliefs about cognitive abilities influence learning and plasticity in later life.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Neuroscience of Aging
Background:
- Cognitive abilities, such as inductive reasoning, can decline in older adulthood.
- Self-efficacy, or beliefs in one's own capabilities, may influence cognitive performance and training outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between memory self-efficacy and responsiveness to inductive reasoning training in older adults.
- To determine if self-efficacy moderates cognitive training gains.
Main Methods:
- Participants completed a memory self-efficacy questionnaire.
- Random assignment to either an inductive reasoning training group or a waitlist control group.
- Latent change score modeling to analyze training effects and moderators.
Main Results:
- Inductive reasoning significantly improved in the training group compared to the control group.
- Higher initial memory self-efficacy predicted greater improvements in inductive reasoning within the training group.
- Self-efficacy also influenced the time participants dedicated to training materials.
Conclusions:
- Self-referential beliefs about cognitive potential are linked to cognitive plasticity in adulthood.
- Memory self-efficacy may be a crucial factor for successful cognitive training in older individuals.
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